Artificial fingernails are placed on human nails for various reasons and purposes. The most common use is by women to enhance the attractiveness of their hands by displaying uniformly long and uniformly shaped fingernails. One type of artificial fingernail involves buiding up on acrylic fingernail on top of the natural nail. A built up or porcelain artificial nail kit typically includes a powdered acrylic polymer, a liquid acrylic monomer and a set of adhesively backed paper forms shaped to approximate a nail extension. Various files, drills and other implements are required to build up artificial fingernails.
In the practice of building up artificial nails, first the natural nails are filed with a fine nail file (e.g., emery board) in order to roughen the nail surface and to remove the nail's natural oil. This improves adhesion. Then, a paper form, which serves as a base support for the artificial nail, is disposed beneath each natural nail to extend beyond the end of the natural nail. The polymer and monomer are mixed together and applied to each natural nail and the projecting portion of the form. The polymer-monomer mixture forms extensions of uneven thickness and length. After the desired thickness is achieved and the mixture dries, the paper form is removed from under each nail. Upon removing the form, the artificially built nails cover the natural nails and extend to approximately the desired nail length. The artificial nails must then be shaped.
Shaping involves three steps. First, each artificial nail is generally shaped using a coarse nail file or a mechanical drill with a coarse sander bit. In using a drill, the side of the bit must be used to shape the nail. Second, the artificial nail is more precisely shaped using a fine nail file or a mechanical drill with a fine sander bit. Finally, the artificial nail is smoothed and shined using a buff pad. After buffing, the artificial nails are polished.
Maintaining artificial fingernails requires filing in new nail growth between the cuticle and the sculptured nail. First, any remaining polish is removed. Next, portions of the artificial nail which separated from the natural nail are removed with clippers. A coarse nail file is then used to smooth high points on the nail. Finally, an artificial nail is built up in the new growth area as previously described.
Nail care tools known in the prior art predominantly relate to the manicuring care of natural nails. Such tools are universally used on artifically built nails. These tools do not adequately meet the distinct needs of artificial nail sculpturing. The shape of natural nails and, therefore, the desired shape of artificial nails, is curved. The nail curves perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the finger, presenting its convex surface outward. The nail also curves along the longitudinal axis of the finger, although this curve is less pronounced.
Prior art files, emery boards and other manual implements used for filing all comprise flat operational surfaces. They are designed primarily for use in manicuring, filing and shaping the ends of natural nails. In using such a manicuring device for shaping artificial nails, the file is translated back and forth over the surface of the artificial nail, often in a direction perpendicular to the finger being worked on. Using such a flat surface to shape, sculpt and approximate the curved surface of a nail yields imprecise results. Moreover, it is very difficult to properly file the sides of the nail as the skin and flesh of the finger interfere. As a result, parts of the finger are often traumatized by the file action. The skin is cut, abraded and burned.
It is also common practice to shape artificial nails by using electric grinders and drills with sanding bits of various grades. The sides of the bits are placed against the surface of the nail in order to file and sculpt it. Although this method is quicker than using manual tools, it has the same problems associated with manually operated files. It is difficult to properly shape the curved surface of the nail because the nail surface is convex and the working surface of the rotating sander does not compensate for this shape. Also, the finger is frequently injured. During operation, the drill often slips off the nail surface and abrades the finger due to the rotational momentum of the bit. In addition, the fingers are often burned due to the large amount of heat produced by the rotating bit.
Known buff pads are usually much larger than a finger nail and often have a convex shape to their working surface. Such a shape is, like the drill sanders, inconsistent with that of the fingernail. This results in uneven and inefficient application as the finger is buffed along with the fingernail.
Prior art sculpturing tools are inadequate. They often cause pain and trauma resulting from cuts, abrasions and burns. Moreover, they are inefficient and do not properly treat the sides of fingernails since they do not compensate for the curvature of the fingernails. This necessitates frequent reshaping of the nail. In addition, some states have enacted laws requiring professional manicurists to use disposable tools such as nail files. A new file must be used for each customer and thrown away after each use. This is costly and wasteful.